Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has finally given his verdict on the Mumbai Indians' (MI) captaincy saga between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 auction.
Pandya, previously led the Titans in IPL 2022 and 2023, guiding them to the finals in both seasons. GT clinched the title in 2022 but were defeated by CSK in the 2023 final.
Meanwhile, speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar discussed the reasoning behind MI's decision to appoint Pandya as their new captain. He noted that Mumbai had a disappointing performance in IPL 2022, finishing at the bottom of the points table, and Rohit also had an underwhelming season with the bat. Gavaskar suggested that Sharma, who is also the captain of the Indian national team, might be feeling the strain of his extensive captaincy duties.
“We shouldn’t go into rights and wrongs. But, the decision they have taken is for the benefit of the team. In the last two years, Rohit’s contribution, even with the bat, has dipped a little bit. Earlier, he used to score big, but in the last two years they finished No. 9 or No. 10 the year before last year and in the last year they qualified for the playoffs,” Gavaskar said.
“But we missed seeing the mojo in Rohit Sharma that we used to see in the previous few years. Maybe, he was a little tired because of playing continuous cricket, he was a little tired because of captaincy, leading India and the franchise,” Gavaskar further added.
The 74-year-old batting legend elaborated on the decision to appoint Pandya as the new captain of the Mumbai franchise. He mentioned that Pandya's successful tenure with GT, marked by notable results, likely influenced Mumbai's decision to select him as their new leader.
“I feel that the decision, they have kept in mind that Hardik is a young captain who has produced results. Hardik has led Gujarat to the finals twice, and he led them to the title in 2022. I think they have made him captain by considering all this,” Gavaskar concluded.
Gavaskar also noted that choosing Pandya as captain signifies a shift in strategy and a period of transition for the five-time IPL champions. He expressed his belief that Pandya taking on the captaincy role would be advantageous for the franchise.
“At times, you need fresh thinking. Hardk brings in that fresh thinking. I think the decision will only benefit Mumbai Indians, it will not deter them,” he added.
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